A lost art of gypsies & lovers.

Almost a relic now, the accordion is still a meeting place for bohemians, wanderers and tired travelers. It’s the instrument most of us romantics play without knowing, at the exact minute when the sun sets over a wrinkled heart – still too young to fall asleep.

The Accordion is a gentleman; and Nostalgia, his lady. You know, that foreign country where we were born but never visited.

In my days of intense poetry (like, ever since I was a cat in a cat world with a misunderstood cat heart), I stumbled upon a most exquisite description of this heartbreaking music box. I’ve had it on my wall ever since; and I read it every now and then, when I can’t tell the difference between dusk and dawn.

The idea of it is distasteful at best. Awkward box of wind, diminutive,misplaced piano on one side, raised Braille buttons on the other. Thebellows, like some parody of breathing, like some medical apparatus from aVictorian sick-ward. A grotesque poem in three dimensions, a rococothing-a-me-bob. I once strapped an accordion on my chest and right away Ihad to lean back on my heels, my chin in the air, my back arched like abullfighter or flamenco dancer. I became an unheard of contradiction: agypsy in graduate school. Ah, but for all that, we find evidence of thesoul in the most unlikely places. Once in a Czech restaurant in LongBeach, an ancient accordionist came to our table and played the oldfavorites: “Lady of Spain,” ” The Saber Dance,” “Dark Eyes,” and throughall the clichés his spirit sang clearly…

About Andrea Balt

Co-Founder / Editor in Chief of Rebelle Society, Wellness Alchemist at Rebelle Wellness & Creativity Curator at Creative Rehab. Unfinished book with a love for greens, bikes and poetry; raised by wolves & adopted by people; not trying to make art but to Be Art. Holds a BA in Journalism & Mass Communication, an MFA in Creative Writing & a Holistic Health Coach degree from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition®. In her work she tries to reflect the wholeness of the human experience by combining Art & Health + Brains & Beauty + Darkness & Brilliance into a more alive, unabridged and unlimited edition of ourselves. She is also on a quest to reinstate Creativity as one of our essential Human Rights to (hopefully and soon) be included in the UN Declaration. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram and sign up for her Monthly Stroke of Renaissance.

Well, you inspired me to write this post with your comment here: http://www.elephantjournal.com/2012/01/what-the-h…. After this I started thinking about my affair with accordions over the years, and went on youtube because I wanted to send you an accordion song and then everything cascaded from there… See what you start when you write from the heart?

Not yet, but after breakfast….. Just returning to the accordion after learning to play as a kid. Never stopped playing music but haven't played in 45 years. Music is perhaps the greatest gift my parents ever gave me — through my accordion lessons. When I pick it up now it's amazing how it comes back, a bit encrusted but still there. I feel it with every squeeze of the bellows, breathing new life into us both. Thanks for this reminder of why….